


Entangled

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Will (TV 2017)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Forehead Kisses, Hair Brushing, M/M, Realization, Temporary Amnesia, hand kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 21:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14198157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: After a minor accident Kit claims to not remember Will, who, as a joke, pretends they're a couple. Things get complicated when Kit believes him, and Will, finding himself mindful of Kit's feelings while taking care of his friend, begins to find things are more complicated than they seem.





	Entangled

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this prompt](http://dailyau.tumblr.com/post/161811229684/youre-my-best-friend-whos-just-waking-up-from-a): “You’re my best friend who’s just waking up from a concussion, I played a trick on you and said we were married and you have amnesia… but you just rolled with it and now I don’t know what to do” AU

"Kit?"

"What time is it?" Kit mumbled.

"Oh, thank God." Will gave a sigh of relief as Kit finally opened his eyes. "You fucking idiot."

"Excuse me?" Kit winced, lifted one hand to touch his temple. "How drunk was I last night?"

"It is still night. And drunk enough that you were reciting one of Faust's speeches to me while walking backwards and falling off the stage. You hit your head and you've been in and out of consciousness since. I was starting to worry."

Kit tried to sit up. This was clearly painful and took a moment. This also did not stop him from flashing a smile as soon as he was more comfortable. "Worry should not crease such a handsome brow."

"Kit!"

"Come now," Kit purred. "We were together, you said?"

"Drinking and then watching you sleep. Nothing more."

"Romantic."

"Kit!"

Kit frowned. "You keep yelling at me and I don't even know your name."

"Will! How can you forget that?"

"I don't know," Kit said. "I don't remember you at all."

Will was convinced Kit was toying with him and he decided to play along, something he was to later regret, at least for a while.

"That's hurtful," Will said. "Since I am your devoted lover. You gave me a ring, see?" He flashed the band, which he'd purchased himself as a reward for the success of his latest play.

Kit's eyes widened. "Oh."

Will tipped his head. "Darling."

Kit grabbed for Will's hand, clutched it and pressed kisses to his knuckles. "Forgive me," he said when he paused in his hand worship. "You are so lovely and I am ashamed I could ever forget anything about you."

Well that was a little unexpected.

"Don't be silly." Will tried to pull his hand away.

"I do have good taste," Kit mused, gazing at Will as if for the first time. Which, it was becoming obvious, that from his point of view, it was. "And to have found someone to share my life with...that's more than I dared to ever hope for. I was quite convinced I would die alone."

Oh shit. Will's mouth fell open.

"How did we meet?" Kit's thumb was caressing the back of Will's hand now.

Will shrugged helplessly.

"No, wait. It was here? In the theatre?"

"Yes." Will didn't have it in him to tell the truth after Kit's heartfelt acceptance of the notion of them being lovers, especially after fretting over him when he feared Kit was badly hurt. Maybe Kit would remember the truth soon enough. For the moment Will would have to play along. "You told me you were the great Christ-opher Marlowe. I discovered you were a genius playwright but a bit of an ass."

"Only a bit?"

Will laughed at Kit's amused tone. "You are very dramatic. That's why I call you Kit," he said. "None of that Christ-opher nonsense. It's practically blaspehmous."

"Blame my father for naming me thus."

Will looked around, passed over a cup of water. "I think we should take you home. You can sleep better in your bed than in this storage room. I was on the verge of sending for a physician but you're particular about that, I think."

"As you say," Kit said, sitting up, wincing a little. "We'll go home."

*

"So, how long have we been together?" Kit had taken Will's hand as they walked and it seemed perfectly natural.

"Not long," Will hedged.

"But you've moved in with me?"

Will shook his head. "No."

"Yet I gave you a ring?"

"Um, I'm needed at the theatre a lot. And you need your own space to work. It's better if we give each other time alone," Will said, proud of himself even as knew he was digging himself into a deeper hole with each lie. He ought to confess now.

"Very practical. Absence makes for sweet reunions," Kit mused.

Will nodded.

"Are they sweet? Our reunions?" Kit gave Will a flirtatious look. Will felt his blood heat up.

"Um, some of the time. Do you want a drink, there's still a few places open. Or some food. Are you hungry?" Will knew he was rambling in his attempt to distract Kit, but couldn't stop.

"No. But it's thoughtful of you to ask."

That shut Will up and they completed their journey in silence.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Kit embraced Will, shoving him against the wall.

"Kit, no," Will protested. "I think you should go to bed."

"Bed," Kit purred. "If you insist." He gave a wicked grin and sauntered off, leaving a frustrated Will to trail after him.

Kit had no qualms about stripping off in relatively public settings and so was not going to be shy now. Will tried not to stare, though the tattoos adorning Kit's lithe body always caught his attention. It took only a little coaxing to get Kit into a nightshirt and then into the neatly made double bed. There were no servants in the house at present but Will felt certain there must be staff here part of the time or there'd be more disarray.

Speaking of which, Will's attention was drawn to Kit's hair. He reached out and took one blonde lock between his fingers, slightly matted, with dirt from the floor sticking to many of the strands.

"You should comb this out," Will said.

Kit gave him a pleading look. "You could do it for me."

So Will found a comb on the dresser and sat on the edge of the bed, Kit turning sideways so Will could reach all of his hair. Will had brushed both of his daughters' hair many times though rarely his son's and, oddly now he thought of it, never his wife's. It was a strangely intimate experience to share with Kit.

Ends first, then work up the hair shaft until the comb could run from root to tip in a smooth motion. Kit winced as Will caught what was surely going to be a terrible bruise on his scalp from the fall, and Will made soothing noises and took more care until he was clear of the injury. It was calming once the tangles were gone, and Kit gave a sigh of pleasure as Will made a few final unnecessary passes.

"There, all done," Will said with some reluctance, putting the comb aside. "Now go to sleep."

Kit settled down, taking a moment to get comfortable. "You're not joining me?"

"No. You should rest. And I should get back to the theatre, I still have a few amendments to make to my latest play."

Kit pouted. "You're not going to leave an injured man alone during the hours of night are you?"

Will bit back a curse. "I'll stay for a little while."

Kit took Will's hand. "Thank you."

Unlike the almost teasing tone he'd used to guilt Will into staying, that sounded genuine. Will rubbed his thumb against Kit's palm.

"Any chance of a bedtime story?" Kit asked, stifling a yawn.

"No, you might steal it and pass it off as your own work." Will gave him a wink to show he was joking.

"A kiss goodnight then?" Kit was struggling to stay awake now despite his clear desire to flirt further.

Will sighed. He bent over and pressed his lips to Kit's forehead. "Good night, sweet prince," he said. Something Richard was always saying, something Will intended to work into a play sooner or later. He laid Kit's hand down on the bedcovers, working his own hand free and moved to sit on a nearby chair.

Kit was soon asleep but Will found himself reluctant to leave. He tried to several times, but only when dawn approached and Kit was still breathing, seemingly none the worse for his ordeal, memory problems aside, that Will finally headed home.

After a few scant hours of sleep and a stop by the theatre to talk about some last minute rewrites, Will went back to Kit's house where the door was swiftly answered in response to his knock.

"You're awake," Will said with relief. He followed Kit to the dining room where the remnants of breakfast lay surrounded by papers and quills. Kit threw himself into a chair, one booted foot up on the edge of the table.

"My love," Kit said, patting at his other thigh. "Come, sit."

This had to stop. Will took a deep breath. "Kit, I'm sorry."

He stopped when Kit burst out laughing. Will stared, growing concerned and then annoyed.

"Oh, Will." Kit finally caught his breath. He moved with speed and grace, coming to stand in front of Will. "I remember everything. You, my love, are a filthy liar."

Will lowered his gaze in shameful acknowledgement.

"I didn't think you had in it you to pull such a trick," Kit mused. "I'm impressed."

"When did you know?" Will asked.

Kit shrugged. "It was coming back in bits and pieces," he said. "What truly gave it away is when I woke up and thought about this ring." He grabbed for Will's hand, caressed the plain band.

"What's wrong with my ring?"

"If I were buying you jewellery it would not be so plain." Kit dropped Will's hand. "It would be elegant and expensive."

Will's fingers tightened against his palm, protecting his chosen ring. "I like this ring," he said firmly. "You'd respect that if we were lovers. Besides, there's an honesty to simplicity. It's not about the money you spend; poor and loved is rich enough."

Kit tipped his head, the hair Will had carefully groomed last night cascading over his shoulder. "That's quite good. Needs some work, but you should use that."

Will filed the phrase away for future reference. "I'm sorry I lied," he said, changing the subject.

"No matter. You've already got a wife and a lover," Kit said. "That's more complex a situation than I might care to entangle myself in."

Not that anyone was asking him to, but Will merely nodded.

"You talked about sharing your life with someone," Will said hesitantly. "I'm your friend. You know that, don't you? You're not alone."

Kit gave him a long look, all merriment leaving his face. At last he turned away, paced the room. "We are all of us alone."

"Then I will be alone with you," Will said, determined not to let Kit fall into melancholy. That was his reason for not confessing the lie earlier, the thought of hurting Kit by denying they had any connection.

Kit glanced over his shoulder, a sad smile on his lips. "Thank you. We both have work to do, however and that, as you said last night, requires some distance from each other."

Will nodded and turned to make his way to the door.

"But if you'd comb my hair again tonight I would find that...pleasing."

A small laugh bubbled up despite Will's efforts. "I'd like that," he said, and it was the truth. Kit accompanied him to the door.

"I will see you later then, my love." Kit briefly clasped Will's cheek with one palm and then, as Will expected a kiss, braced for it, found himself wanting it, Kit drew back.

Will was lost in his thoughts on the way back to the theatre, stumbling into a puddle of what he hoped was rainwater in his distracted state. Was the "my love" Kit's way of continuing to tease Will and remind him of the trick he'd played? Or something more? Will's life was complex, as Kit had said, but Will couldn't help but think that Kit had been lying when he said he wouldn't get involved. Worse, Will found himself wanting more entanglement, as Kit had phrased it.

The memory of Kit's hair against his fingers, his forehead against Will's lips, the look of affection Kit had given him when he believed the lie...Will didn't dare name the feeling that came with these thoughts, for he knew that once acknowledged he could never ignore it.

Love could not be so easily thrown aside.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr promo post](https://meridianrosewrites.tumblr.com/post/172554904042/entangled-meridianrose-meridianrose-will)


End file.
